Maintenance and consolidation strategies in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: A review of the data

Results of treatment for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas have significantly improved over the last decade, especially following the discovery that anti-CD20 antibody therapy can significantly change the outlook for patients with both aggressive and indolent lymphomas. Although investigators have previously attempted to prevent relapses by intensifying chemotherapy programs for patients with poor-risk disease, further improvements in treatment will require development of biologic agents that can be added to current programs and exploitation of currently available drugs that can prevent recurrence of these diseases with good tolerability. This review analyzes currently available plans that can be used to maintain responses or "consolidate" initial responses to therapy, programs that may prevent relapse and potentially cure more patients with lymphomas, with a review of current ongoing trials designed along these lines.